The scarcity of capable facilities can create de facto monopolies even in the United States. France placed its largest yard under state control in 2017 to preserve jobs and the capacity needed for a future nuclear carrier. The government did not regard ownership by a NATO and European Union partner as equivalent to retaining French control, because domestic construction policy and national industrial continuity were at stake. The American carrier-building yard receives close government scrutiny. Rosyth delivered Britain's carriers, although its selection is questioned on procurement grounds and for the amount of further work the yard required. A carrier yard brings together many supply chains, including components assembled at other yards, so retaining the assembly site also sustains a wider industrial network.
Chapter · 27:54-32:26
Carrier-capable shipyards become strategic national assets
French, American, and British choices illustrate why governments treat a carrier assembly yard as the strategic end point of a national supply network.